First Apprentice

Chapter 17 Part 2

A sharp knock sounded on the door. The knob turned and a woman poked her head inside. "My chief," she said quietly. "Dracon Elder Aric's waiting for you in the conference room.

Terry bowed his head and sighed. "Five minutes. Helen," he called when she started to leave. She paused in the doorway. "Escort Saar to the healers, and make him stay there this time. You're not fine, uncle," Terry said when Saar started to protest. "You're exhausted, both magically and physically. You shielded my people."

"Not well enough," Saar said.

"When we exited the Well," Joel said quietly, joining their conversation for the first time, "the magic was so thick I had trouble breathing for a minute. It was like the Third Battle of Marstallis come again." When Saar ripped a gate to shreds to make a path for his invading army. "Given the magics involved, I expected thousands dead. You shielded them. Your actions saved many lives and for that, you have our thanks. Accept help for once."

"Spar next month?" Saar asked as Helen gently grabbed his elbow and guided him towards the door.

"The usual time and place," Joel replied.

Terry waited until their footsteps faded away before he reached under his desk. Layers of wards sprang to life, coating the walls. Silencing, aura canceling, and other measures intended to counter potential eavesdroppers and spying seals. He even had a screamer, so named because it masked the room in a wall of sound. "This falls under your oaths," he said to Uncle Manfred. Then Terry turned his full attention to me. "As impossible as this sounds, Mitchel claims you've developed an undetectable, low power spy array. Does it exist? If it does, does it work?"

In the contract, I reminded myself. I could charge Terry for my seals, but I couldn't deny him access. Now wasn't the time to quibble over a few silver coins either.

Steeling myself, I flashed my fangs at him. "Let me put it this way, you'd know all about having more power than sense," I said, throwing his unflattering description of me back at him. The transcript of his discussion with Grandfather before he left made for interesting, albeit disturbing reading. Grandfather delivered a succinct briefing covering my parents, training, Endellion, and Jon. Several times the discussion shifted from verbal to telepathic, which meant I didn't know the entirety. I vowed to find out though.

Terry blinked then his shoulders began to shake. A soft chuckle escaped before he regained control. Something told me a chuckle from Terry counted as guffaws from someone else. "How long will it take you to set it up?"

"Depends."

"Don't hedge," Terry snapped. "Mitchel told me all about your escapades." So I read. "The girl he described carts around dozens. I'm asking if you have one prepared. If so, how long will it take to deploy it?"

"Thirty seconds or less," I answered. "Transcription or sound?"

"Both. Either. Whatever I can hide on my person. I need them now. Joel, keep Alannah and the transcripts in sight. Worst case, you'll need to swear the transcripts are unaltered."

"You plan on giving the transcripts out," Joel said warily.

"Right now, no. If the Dracon declare war over this, we'll need them to convince the others. Saar's right about the writ. However, overturning a writ requires five votes. We're only two."

I touched a coin on my bracelet, hooked the object inside with my magic, and pulled it out. Terry eyed my wrist with undisguised fascination as an oak tool chest grew out of my arm and hovered. I set it down on the floor and knelt. Quickly, I freed the latches and lowered the front down, revealing four drawers. I opened the bottom one. Three dozen senteris coins lay in neat rows on a bed of red velvet. I plucked one up from the top left corner and another from the bottom right.

"They're voice activated," I said as I passed them to Terry. "Put them in a pocket, shoe, under a mattress – wherever – and they'll work."

"Excellent," he said. After stuffing one coin in his right breast pocket and depositing the other in his pants pocket, Terry headed for the door. He paused with his hand on the doorknob. "Out of curiosity, where's Mitchel's?"

"I altered a few covered buttons on the upholstery."

The buttons were inspired. Grandfather redecorated his manor with the seasons, a belated rebellion against the utilitarian lifestyle he lived during his centuries with the Seven. So I snipped a few buttons off Uncle Manfred's chair, slipped my seal under the cover, and returned them safe in the knowledge that there were two pieces of furniture Grandfather never replaced: his blackwood desk and Uncle Manfred's ratty chair.

As Joel guided me out the door, I surveyed Terry's office, absently wondering what would make a good hiding place and if spying on Terry was worth the risk. Spying on Grandfather was one thing. Spying on a man who already despised me was something else.

Last week, I thought I had these three cards just right. Then I showed them them to Momma.

Momma: Endellion's hair doesn't look like that.

Me: It's close enough.

Momma: It's either right or it isn't. Fix it!

She still says Terry's eyes look too kind, but has given her blessing for the rest. Never thought I'd see the day...

And that's the last of the monsters for a very long time. No more flee on sight data cards...yeah! Wait, that means I have to start counting the radar graph lines. *Sigh*

I'll go back and add these to the chapters where the character is first seen in a bit. This note and the duplicate cards will be deleted during edits.